2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine was the realization of a dream for Channing Tatum, as he was finally able to debut his big screen character Gambit. Years before that, Tatum had been eager to play the fan-favorite X-Man and was to do so in a solo film. That flick ultimately didn’t pan out, but a lot of work was put in beforehand. Tatum recently recalled trying to get that comic book movie off the ground and, while doing so, he revealed one major mistake he could've made amid development.
Tatum was first linked to the role of cajun card thrower Remy LeBeau around 2014, at which point it was reported that he’d debut in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse before leading his own movie. He even promoted the film at Comic-Con in 2014. During a recent interview with ScreenRant, Tatum promoted Dunkin’ Donuts’ promotional campaign for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, in which he’ll reprise Remy. The Magic Mike alum was asked if a solo film centered around his character was still a possibility, and he didn’t strike down the idea.
However, if that X-Men spinoff were to happen, something Tatum wouldn’t be bullish about is directing himself, and that was something he aimed to do when he was developing the film years ago.
As the Magic Mike alum explained, he and his producing partner, Reid Carolin, were motivated to make the movie by “frustration and hubris,” and they went through quite a few directors:
We had three different directors that were signed up to do it, and the first one, the studio, Fox, they had a fallout, so that one didn't work out. The second one was just in development for so long with somebody that I was just like, ‘We got to move to making this thing.’ So we separated ourselves, and then the third one almost got going with Gore Verbinski, and then creatively all three of us, the studio, him and me, we started in the same place, and then as it developed, we just all grew apart.
Following all that, Tatum and Carolin apparently approached 20th Century Fox about commissioning a script “that the studio wanted to make, and that we wanted to make.” The hope was for that script to attract a filmmaker who would want to direct it as it was. However, after seeing the screenplay, the pair loved the script, and that passion fueled the idea that one of them helm the flick. That eagerness only grew after Shawn Levy – who, ironically, directed D&W years later – praised their script and expressed interest in helming Gambit.
Channing Tatum is now grateful to have not directed the movie, as it’s his belief that neither he nor Reid Carolin were prepared to direct a film of that scale. The Jump Street star even went so far as to say that the production “would've failed miserably” had he or Carolin helmed it. He also said this:
Now that I know exactly what directing is and how complicated it is and how these movies specifically are so hard, you really need to know what you're doing. It can't be your first movie. You've got to really get a lot of different facets under your belt and have a lot of experience because making one of these movies is nearly impossible. Some people really have the formula down and really know how to do it, and some others struggle. It would've just been a catastrophe on a level that I would never have recovered from.
I can certainly understand the concerns, especially considering how big a superhero movie can be. Tatum may have been “traumatized” by the movie not panning out, but it sounds like he learned a valuable lesson from the experience. Plus, it’s worth mentioning that Tatum has since made his directorial debut with the critically well received road dramedy Dog, which hit theaters in 2022.
Tatum is also blessed in that he’s still in the position to play Gambit, who delighted audiences (and Ryan Reynolds) with his sick moves and thick cajun accent. Based on the Dunkin’ ad, Remy’s cadence may be a bit more tame in Doomsday. I’m not sure if Tatum’s version of LeBeau will appear beyond the team-up film, especially due to the upcoming X-Men reboot. But, if the door of opportunity swings open, Tatum will walk through it, even if he doesn’t seem keen on directing.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18 amid the 2026 movie schedule. Fans can also check out Channing Tatum’s performance as Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine by streaming the film with a Disney+ subscription.
